A codex is a compilation of manuscripts, much like the journals that Leonardo da Vinci used to record his experiments, observations, and designs. And today, we could easily assemble a new codex of all the news stories, research, and (conspiracy) theories about Leonardo that have appeared in recent years.
Take a few minutes and visit the websites for Time Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, the Discovery Channel, or How Stuff Works, and search for stories on da Vinci. What recent discoveries have been made? Is Dan Brown any good at art history? What was Leonardo's life story? Where might you be able to see exhibitions on Leonardo in a museum near you? Who stole the Mona Lisa?
Tell us about something you read, and how it compares to what you already know (or thought you knew) about this true Renaissance man. And finally, why are we still so interested in him?
This one's due Thursday, 11/5.
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There are many theories of da Vinci's painting "The Last Supper." Some of these include how Judas is "the only one" leaning away from Jesus, showing that he will soon betray him, even though in the picture it is clear that Judas is not the only one leaning away.There is also another theory that Mary Magdalene is in painting but as John with a feminine appearance. But probably not because why would they leave John out of the picture when all of the other disciples are there?
ReplyDeleteIn october of this year La Bella Principessa, was attributed to da vinci. They used a fingerprint found on the painting to link it back to him. Leonardo wrote from right to left, or mirror writting. Some think it is to prevent people from reading his notes and stealing ideas, however most believe because as a lefty writing from left to right is messy in ink. Vincenzo Perugia stole the mona lisa.
ReplyDeleteI found an interesting article about one of da Vinci's cooler inventions, a wind-up car. He never actually built the contraption, and it was never designed for personal transportation. Instead, it was supposed to be used for entertainment at carnivals, to instill wonder in the crowd watching the self-propelled wagon. He designed it in 1478, nearly three hundred years before the first self-propelled vehicle was actually built (the French Fardier, 1770). It was like a clockwork toy; it was wound up, giving the driving sprongs tension, and then could roll 130 feet once the brake was lifted before it needed to be wound up again. It could even be pre-programmed to turn, although it only turned right, not left. This mechanical drawing is exactly the kind of thing I imagined da Vinci would create. It's right in line with some of his other inventions, like the armored tank and the steam-powered engine.
ReplyDeleteI read an interesting article from time.com about a previously uncredited painting that is now being atributed to da Vinci. The painting, which is now being called La Bella Principessa, was traced to da Vinci by a 500-year old fingerprint. Though there is a lot of evidence connecting the painting to da Vinci, the proof is not fully conclusive and has not been accepted by all critics.
ReplyDeleteI think this discovery is pretty cool. Da Vinci accomplished so much throughout his life, it seems plausible that some of his works would have been lost. Its amazing that this long after his life, we'd be able to connect a painting to him.
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519),an Italian scientist, inventor and artist, the ultimate Renaissance man. Leonardo was a master painter, and many of his works are recognized worldwide, including the "Mona Lisa," the "Last Supper," and his sketch of the "Vitruvian Man." He was also a sculptor, an anatomy expert, an engineer and an architect, and his seemingly endless amount of ideas and inventions were extremely far ahead of their time. Most of his machines or gadgets were proposed and remain sketches on paper, but Leonardo also predicted a myriad of modern technologies, including the parachute, steam engine, tank, helicopter, airplane
ReplyDeleteand submarine. I belive he is still important today becuase he invented alot of important inventions and within out them we wouldnt know what to do with ourselves
I just read in Time recently and refreshed myself on Time.com about a da Vinci painting that was uncovered using modern technologies that allow us to see fingerprints. This personally amazes me. That was probably born out of just wanting to know more about art, but I think our modern fascination with him stems from his apparent ability to use to time travel in order to be able to engineer things unheard of at his time (or insert your other favorite conspiracy theory here). I don't know how good Dan Brown actually is at art history, but I believe that his writings, too, also stem from fascination with that mystery of it all. I, for one don't believe that his seemingly unmatchable talent could have happened any other way given that evidence out there shows that we aren't just being deceived somehow by all of da Vinci's works.
ReplyDeleteThere is currently an exhibit at the Maryland Science Center on da Vinci. The Mona Lisa was stolen (in 1911; I didn't look but it's my guess that it's been stolen several other times by different people) by Vincenzo Perugia, who was hired to build a glass box to protect it from vandals.
They found a finger print on what was thought to be a 19th century painting. Dan Brown writes fiction, so it is ok for him to make stuff up and alot of people don't understant that. In his teens, Da Vinci was an apprintace to the greatest artest of the time, and eventually became a military engineer. Vincenzo Perugia was one of the many the stole the Mona Lisa. Some work of Da Vinci is available at the MD Science Center.
ReplyDeleteI think we are still interested in Da Vinci because many of the inventions that we have now, or were invented in the last 100 years or so, Da Vinci already had sketches of and designs for. Helicopters, gliders, and cars were all found in his sketches.
Amateur theorists and art historians alike have considered whether "The Last Supper" contains hidden imagery. Some believe there was a knife held and other crazzzzzy stuuFF! DA Vinci invented alot it is to be said some was lost. He was a great person. I believe he didn't have secret images, But i like cause I love some drama.
ReplyDeleteI read an article on time.com, about how they just found a piece of artwork called the La Bella Principessa. It is a profile of a aristocratic Milanese women, drawn in pen, chalk and ink on animal skin known as vellum. They credited this painting to Da Vinci because of a 500 year old finger print.
ReplyDeleteWe are so interested in him because he has done a lot in the past, and if he did not do half of the things then we probably wouldn't be where we are today.
I read an article about two figures in an altar panel for the Baptistery of Florence, Italy that a Renaissance scholar is claiming were done by da Vinci. The panel was commissioned to Andrea del Verrocchio, who was da Vinci's teacher, but the new claim suggests that the scene was a teacher-student collaboration. These two figures have details similar to da Vinci's paintings, and the hair and clothing indicate that they were done by a different artist than the artist who did the rest of the figures. Some don't like this claim because they say that the figures could have been done by any one in del Verrocchio's studio.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like a new work is attributed to da Vinci every few monnths, and I think that people are still so interested in him because of the mystery that seems to surround much of his work.
I read an article on Time.com about the Bella Principessa. Apparently the guy that bought it 2 years ago thought it might be a Da Vinci painting. He bought it for $19,000, and now it might be worth upwards of $150 million. The guy that bought it must feel very lucky right now.
ReplyDeleteLike Heather said, Da Vinci is still interesting because we still know little about him. That painting was only recently discovered to have been painted by him, and it is unknown if he has painted anymore. He's mysterious, and, people like mystery.
to start off, i knew nothing about him to begin with. when you say "why are we still interested in him?" i laugh because i am not interested in him at all. DAN BROWN IS GARBAGE!!! he was recently acknowledged for painting the bella principessa. a fingerprint on the painting determined this.
ReplyDeleteI think the original creation for the da vinci Codex can be attributed the same motivation for faith in a higher power in general. The idea that an ambiguous trail of clues within art lead to the finding of the holy grail (comparing a triangular area of empty space on "The Last Supper" with a womans womb, for example)is pretty much preposterous. But blind faith is not something humans as a group like to cling on to if they can find reasoning behind it, hence the search for a possible heir to Jesus. Similar ideas have been created for nearly all religious texts, including one that I read on time.com about the Torah being a guide to everything: past, present, and future.
ReplyDeleteIn my personal opinion, maybe all of da Vinci's art really was just that: art. This inevitable search for meaning in nearly all of his paintings has led to its ruin in most cases, possibly even motivating the theft of the Mona Lisa once or twice; art was meant to be appreciated and interpreted individually.
La Bella Principessa was proven to be attributed to da vinci. Fingerprints were found on the painting that led back to him. Da vinci wrote backwards, from right to left so his ideas could never be stolen. The Mona Lisa was stolen by Vincenzo Perugia.
ReplyDeleteDe Vinci may have had some paintings that were supposed to have hidden meanings. To non crazy art lover people, they don't feel like staring at a picture for that long. Make the painters easier to understand yo ;)
ReplyDeleteThere are so many stories, and so many different spins of those stories, so you really never know what your reading. All these stories are very controversial, especially the Last Supper painting, and many other things that have to do with the Catholic church. So many of the stuff I have read and heard is all just theories, some such as Jesus Christ was married to Mary M. (cant spell it) and that he had children. The church denies any sort of that, and even though I'm Catholic I don't understand the problem with that, he was human right? but anyways it is all theories until somethin is actually found.
ReplyDeleteI remember looking through a copy of da vinci's notebook with all the sketches and ideas that he used. It was really cool to see all his mechanical inventions that he drew up decades before they were actually made.
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